The design of portable containers have evolved over the years such that many varieties of containers are manufactured and sold based on particular applications. One of those applications is for medicine (e.g., tablets and capsules) for a user to easily carry small doses of medication for use while traveling or while away from home.
With storage of medicine, however, safety is a priority. Especially important is child safety. For this reason, child resistant portable medicine containers have been developed.
One such container is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,350 (the “'350 Patent”), which is incorporated by reference. That container, shown in FIG. 3 of the '350 Patent, includes a substantially rigid lower box 6 with an open top coupled to a substantially rigid upper lid 4 with an open bottom and an open end. The lower box 6 and upper lid 4 are slidably engaged for opening for access and closing to a locked state.
As shown in FIG. 5 of the '350 Patent, the upper lid 4 includes a slit 7 on a back wall and a first catch 15 extending from a bottom surface of the upper lid 4 adjacent to the back wall. The first catch 15 is positioned away from the back wall at a distance substantially similar to the thickness of a back wall of the lower box 6. The upper lid 4 and the lower box 6 are locked against each other when the back wall of the lower box 6 is positioned between the first catch 15 and the back wall of the upper lid 7. The upper lid 4 includes a sloped channel 11a, 12a adjoining each side wall 14 and bottom surface. A pair of second catches 17 are positioned near the open end adjacent the sloped channels 11a, 12a.
As shown in FIG. 4 of the '350 Patent, the lower box 6 includes recesses 22, 23 extending along an inner top surface of each side wall. A pair of flanges 18, 19 extends outward from each of the side walls at an angle equal to the angle of the sloped channels 11a, 12a.
In operation, as shown in FIGS. 6-8 of the '350 Patent, the upper lid 4 slides on the lower box 6 by engagement of respective sloped channels 11a, 12a and flanges 18, 19, as well as respective recesses 22, 23 and second catches 17. As mentioned above, the upper lid 4 and the lower box 6 are locked to each other when the lower box 6 back wall is secured between the first catch 15 and the upper lid 4 back wall. Applying an inward force to each side of the upper lid 4 at the back wall causes the slit 7 to contract, causing the upper lid 4 to bow while moving the first catch 15 downward. Simultaneously, the user pulls the lower box 6 away from the upper lid 4 in a direction opposite the slit 7. The combined effect releases the first catch 15 from the lower box 6 back wall, allowing the upper lid 4 to slide open along the lower box 6.
The configuration of the above mentioned container is child resistant due to the required force to release the upper lid 4 from the lower box 6 in the locked state. However, the container poses several problems.
For example, the upper lid 4 cannot be completely removed from the lower box 6 due to the continuous engagement of the second catches 17 with the respective recesses 22, 23. As a result, it may be difficult to access product remaining under the upper lid 4.
Another problem is that the container is not sound proof. The container consists of a substantially rigid plastic, such as polyethylene and polypropylene. Thus, noise is generated when the medicine or other product within the container is displaced during transport.
Yet another problem exists in that other materials cannot be properly stored and transported within the container. For example, materials having odor such as raw tobacco products, non-traditional alternative medicines, and alternative nicotine products such as dry herb, wax or oil vaporizer products in solid, liquid and semi-liquid form, cannot be stored within the container because of leakage and odor concerns.
To solve this problem, containers for these applications have been developed and are sold. These containers are sold, for example, at http://www.dhgate.com/product/nonstick-wax-containers-silicone-box-silicon/217393839.html, which is incorporated by reference. However, these containers are not child resistant. In addition, because of the shape and size of the container, it is difficult to conceal when it is carried in one's pocket as a bulge is formed thereto.
Thus, a similar cylindrical container was developed to incorporate child resistance, shown, for example, at http://cooljarz.com/products/2-dram-silicone-lined-concentrate-child-resistant-jars. Like the prior art container discussed in the previous paragraph, this container poses the same problem in that it is difficult to conceal when carried in one's pocket. Also, manufacturing cost is increased due to the extra material required as well as more upfront costs in developing molds for threaded portions of the container. More importantly, this prior art container requires extra steps in opening and closing the container, thus, making it more time consuming for the user.
Therefore, a need exists for a child resistant container for transporting all forms of materials and products such as medicine, as well as materials with odor including liquid and semi-liquid products. A need also exists for a safety container that is easy to use and capable for an adult to open and close quickly while being child resistant.